What would you do????

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
What would you do????
29
Wed, 07-18-2007 - 10:24am

Once again, my plans have fallen apart because my BF is an idiot. So a few questions...

Have any of you here ever been to Mexico? If so, where did you go? Did you rent a car or take taxis or buses? What did you think of that experience and how difficult would it be to take a trip alone?

Long story short - this trip has been planned since about June. My work vacation time has been reserved since about February. This is the ONLY three weeks I've had off from school since December. We have airline tickets and hotel reservations.

My Ph.D educated, world-traveled, university professor BF, who's supposed to be smarter than I am, NEVER BOTHERED to check HIS work schedule and now can't go on this trip. And I can't change my work vacation time due to the amount of people who are already scheduled to be off.

I'm so mad at him I'm thinking of taking this trip alone without him. Or just canceling all together and going somewhere else.

He's apologized but it's feels hollow, like it's no big deal to him. And I know that I could just put off this trip, but I was really looking forward to this - I guess I'm just disappointed more than anything. HE'S traveled. HE'S getting to go to New Zealand in December (to visit his family), and I've never been anywhere like this and I'm having to probably cancel this trip and sit at home because he can't plan ahead. So yeah, I'm pretty mad at him.

So any thoughts? Anyone been to Mexico? Is this a trip a single woman could make by herself?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-26-2006
Wed, 07-18-2007 - 12:52pm

Well, if it ends up you're still nervous about Mexico, you could hypothetically cancel it and go somewhere else alone...somewhere not as expensive as New Zealand. :) I'm partial to London/Europe and other than late night in Barcelona, I NEVER felt unsafe and travelling alone (I lived in London, so I was alone all the time and stayed in Paris for a little while by myself) was almost therapeutic, there's ALWAYS something to do (I spent a great deal of time in museums everywhere, but I'm a bit of an art geek). Not to mention, breezing around Paris alone, stopping at cafes and whatnot is quite the glam experience. ;)

Bottom line, I'd definitely recommend you go SOMEWHERE alone. I've never been to Mexico, so I have no idea.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-08-2006
Wed, 07-18-2007 - 2:24pm

Absolutely go! The trip you had described would be very easy for a girl to do on her own. I actually am planning the almost same exact trip for some time next summer and I plan to go alone! A couple of tips, decide now if you will rent a car there or if you will take taxis etc. Some of the sites you listed are in the interior of the country and if you are staying in Cancun you will have to drive. Usually renting a jeep in Mexico is pretty easy just make sure you check the gas before you leave the rental agency and find out where all of the gas stations are on your route. (I ran out of gas in Cozumel once) Also, if renting a jeep or car is not what you had in mind, google tours for the sites that you want to see and find out where they pick up passengers. Many of them have certain hotels that they pick up at and often times, because these trips are day trips, lunch is included in the price (which generally runs about $50 US dollars). You can go on your own and have a great time! Just come back and tell us all about it!

Good luck,
YG

Avatar for cfk_3
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-1999
Wed, 07-18-2007 - 2:38pm

Hey emdeesea, my sister and her husband went to Cancun several years ago. All he wanted to do was relax at the resort, so she went on several tours by herself. I know one of those was to Chichen Itza because I remember her telling me about the number of steps there were, LOL.

I think you should go. Just use some of the common sense that your boyfriend so obviously lacks and you'll be fine ; )

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-26-2007
Wed, 07-18-2007 - 3:57pm

I've been to Mexico and LOVED it! We were down in Playa Del Carmen which is about an hour south of Cancun but we went up to Cancun one day to ride the ferry to Cozumel to do an excursion snorkeling thing.

We stayed at a resort all-inclusive thing and they had all the info we needed as far as excursions and such. They transported us from the airport and to our excursions. We did take a taxi into downtown Cancun though.

Overall, if you are staying at your hotel/resort and just beaching it or if you've set up excursions through the hotel/resort to do - you'll be 100% fine! I personally would not feel comfortable driving myself around Mexico but taking short taxi rides would not be bad!

We did the tour of Tulum (not nearly as indepth as ChickenItza or whatever) but my boyfriends parents did CI and they enjoyed it (it was a 1/2 a day affair though).

Personally, I wouldn't cancel your plans - hopefully BF paid for his half already and HE will be the one out the money and not you!? But we cancelled a trip to Jamaica last year - paid the cancellation fees - paid the flight fees to change flights - and used the tickets at the last minute this year to fly to FL to visit BF's father... BLAH!!!!!!! Sure wasn't Jamaica! Looking back... I wish we would have just gone! Yes, there were reasons to cancel (financial and our house fell through etc.) but how many chances does one get to go to Jamaica??? :p Or Mexico???

I think you'll find your vacation relaxing - it's beautiful down there!

let us know what you decide! :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2001
Wed, 07-18-2007 - 4:44pm

I guess someone should have told me that rule before I lived in Mexico for 7 years as a single woman! LOL Surprisingly, I came out alive and you know what - I never needed a gun the whole time I lived there. I have also travelled into some of the most impoverished areas as well.

Precautions do need to be made when travelling alone in Mexico. I travelled alone all the time for my work, arriving at tiny airports at midnight and having to share taxis with strangers (It's even better when you're the only female in the taxi and as a woman in Mexico you're the last to be dropped off. Men are taken home first.)

If you are going to a resort - stay in the resort area. Don't try to get all adventurous and go visit the old parts of a town. I can promise you there's a reason those parts of town are away from the resorts. Unless you feel very confident that you can speak Spanish to a level where you can negotiate with people, stay in resort area.

Do not go drinking alone at night. Have a drink in your hotel, at a restaurant early but not at a club. Just not advisable. Don't trust the police - they are not your friends. Be very weary of the taxis you use. Make sure the number on the top of the taxi matches the license plate. In Mexico City only cars with license plates starting with "S" & "M" were official taxis - everything else was illegal, but you have to make sure the license plate matches the license plate written on the taxi itself. Ask the taxi driver for his identifcation and make sure it is he who is driving. No ID - don't get in that cab.

Carry some cash, but not a lot. Lock all credit cards etc, not being used in safe box in hotel room.

Most of all - don't drink the ice!

Beach

Avatar for mhash
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 07-19-2007 - 12:24am

So I'm curious. What if anything does this incident do to your relationship?

Mark

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Thu, 07-19-2007 - 1:47am

> So I'm curious. What if anything does this incident do to your relationship?<

Gosh I don't know. This relationship has been on edge since it's beginnings.

I went out with a friend of mine tonight. We're both having very similar problems. And we both talked about the "Happy vs Happier" syndrome and the article I read in a magazine today about apologies amounting to an acceptance of the past we wish we could have had but never will. (Or something like that - I can't remember exactly how she put it.. it was perfect though.)

Anyway, I'm going on this trip regardless of anything else. I deserve it. I work full time and go to school part time and have managed to maintain the household and everything else on top of a Dean's list GPA. So, dammit, I'm GOING on this vacation and I"m having a good time.

I don't know anyone else who can go. I thought of several people but none of them can go - no passports, no money, too short of time. So I'm going alone. That's it. He can sit at home. He should have put forth some effort. And if he wants to break up with me, he's free to do so. I'm not going to cry over it.

And I'm going to have a damn good time, that's for sure! You can count on that!

Avatar for mhash
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 07-19-2007 - 2:08am

So that begs another question. Would YOU break up with him? especially you are so willing to have him break up with you? What keeps you hanging on if you said that from the beginning that this has been on the edge?

Just being curious....

Mark

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-16-2005
Thu, 07-19-2007 - 8:54am
You know Mark I've kind of said this before to the poster. Her boyfriend seems rather inconsiderate.

Smile,

Deirdre

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-13-2007
Thu, 07-19-2007 - 9:33am

Cancun is nice, and the diving is world class, so is the fishing if you enjoy that as well. I have hitch hiked across the border in Arizona. My advise for a woman traveling alone, stick with guided tours, don't wonder around alone to much. The tourist sections of the country are very lovely, and for the most part the people are warm and caring. It is also a poor country . . and as such you simply need to be a bit safe. Watch where you go, it certainly is a country known for its underbelly and those offerings as well.

I say if you see the pyramid and make at least one dive . . . you have then seen some of the finest the world has to offer, the kind of thing that memories are made of and well worth the trip. If you have the money, take a half day charter, the sail and marlin fishing is world class . . and an experience that truly can never be forgotten. It is not "fishing" . . it is epic. ((-:

Have fun and be safe.

We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.